Riding the wave of the first evening's powerful and widely discussed speakers such as San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and Michelle Obama, the Democratic National Convention continues Wednesday evening with more highly anticipated appearances by leaders.

Below are quotes and video clips from this evening's speakers, which will be updated as the evening goes on.

"This election offers the clearest choice of our time. Many names are on the ballot. So, too, is the character of our country."- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California

"Simply, with a Republican Congress sitting shotgun, Mitt
Romney will put the middle class on the roof and take us for a long, painful
ride."

-Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington

"Friends, we work on macro issues and the macaroni and cheese issues. When women are in the halls of power, our national debate reflects the needs and dreams of American families. Women leading mean that Congress is working to create jobs, make quality childcare more affordable and strengthen the middle class because we understand the American we love grows the economy and opportunity from the middle out, not the top down."-Sen. Barbara Mikulski D-Maryland

"In order to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, Governor Romney will
cut education for our nation's children. That's the choice in this election. They see education as an expense. President Obama sees it as an investment."-Education Secretary Arne Duncan

"Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan are campaigning for women's votes by saying that women need their help. OK, this is coming from two men who are committed to ending insurance coverage for birth control, who would turn over women's health care decisions over to our bosses and who won't even stand up for equal pay for women... But here's the good news. We already have a president who's on our side. President Obama understands women. He trusts women and on every single issue that matters to us, he stands with women. "

-Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation
of America

On the Affordable Care Act: "We all share responsibility to ensure that this vital health care reform law is properly implemented and that all governors expand Medicaid coverage so that no more Margarets die from lack of care. This is part of my pro-life stance and the right thing to do."

"On immigration, Governor Romney's views... could not be more extreme.
He says that we should make life so unbearable for 11 million people that they
simply self-deport. What is that? He said that Arizona's immigration law should
be a model for our country. Don't boo. Vote."

-Cristina Saralegui, Journalist, Actress, and Talk Show Host

"This election is about many things but if you want to understand the values of the two candidates, all you have to do is think about Benita, the beautiful lady that introduced me tonight. Governor Romney calls young people like her, at 27, illegal aliens. President Obama calls them dreamers."

-Cristina Saralegui, Journalist, Actress, and Talk Show Host

"I don't think Mitt Romney's a bad man. I don't fault him for the fact that some
companies win and some companies lose. That's a fact of life. What I fault him
for is making money without a moral compass. I fault him for putting profits
before people like me. But that's just Romney economics."

-Randy Johnson, Former Employee at a Company Controlled by Bain Capital

"Your new president could be a man who stands by when a public figure
tries to silence a private citizen with hateful slurs. A man who won't
stand up to those slurs or any of the extreme bigoted voices in his own
party."

- Sandra Fluke, Attorney and Women's Rights Activist

"The
Republican vision is clear: I got mine, the rest of you are on your
own. Republicans say they don't believe in government - sure they do.
They believe in government to help themselves and their powerful
friends."

- Elizabeth Warren, Candidate for US Senate, Massachusetts

"Mitt
Romney's the guy who said corporations are people. No, Governor Romney,
corporations are not people. People have hearts, they have kids, they
get jobs, they get sick, they cry, they dance, they live, they love and
they die. And that matters."

- Elizabeth Warren, Candidate for US Senate, Massachusetts

"I want to nominate a man who's cool on the outside, but burns for America on the inside."

- Bill Clinton, former President

"We believe 'we're all in this together' is a far better philosophy than 'you're on your own.'"